Wakefield Trinity: Chester vows to bounce back after ‘gut-wrenching’ defeat to Hull

WAKEFIELD Trinity head coach Chris Chester admitted the 27-26 defeat to Hull FC was “gut-wrenching” but insisted his side will turn things around soon.

They suffered a fourth successive defeat after conceding an incredible 52-metre drop-goal from Marc Sneyd with just 89 seconds remaining yesterday.

David Fifita has been given permission by Trinity to return Down Under during his recovery from injury. PIC: Bruce Rollinson

Wakefield, despite making six changes to the side that lost to Castleford Tigers last Thursday, had been 18-8 ahead at half-time with Bill Tupou (2) and Mason Caton-Brown scoring tries.

They handled the rainy conditions far better and capitalised on their hosts’ errors but were then pegged back in the second period as Hull scored tries through Fetuli Talanoa (2) and Albert Kelly after Jordan Abdull’s first-half effort.

Still, Trinity seemed to have rescued a point when Caton-Brown intercepted from 45m out to add his second try in the 72nd minute, James Batchelor, who kicked impeccably with Liam Finn rested, levelling at 26-26.

Trinity’s Ryan Hampshire, who showed some good signs with a rare appearance at scrum-half, then had one drop-goal attempt that never really got off the ground, before Hull ventured close only to see Justin Horo force an error.

Anthony England has a groin tear. PIC: Tony Johnson

A rampaging Pauli Pauli got Wakefield in position again only for Jacob Miller to be forced wide by some defiant defence, the ex-Hull stand-off only able to dab a grubber in.

Nevertheless, the hosts seemed well contained when they only managed to creep into Wakefield’s half but Sneyd had other ideas, the Lance Todd Trophy winner ignoring all the rain and casually booting over from just inside his own half to seal the Black and Whites’ third straight win.

Chester said: “It was gut-wrenching to lose like that.

“We are in a bit of a hole at the moment. We won our first four games and have now lost the next four but we’re not far away.

“We’ve been robbed at the end there with that drop goal which was a special play.

“Fifty two metres out in those kind of conditions it’s a hell of a kick.

“If he did that another 100 times he probably wouldn’t get it.

“We were a little bit naive in that second half trying to go for a drop goal 45 metres out and chasing the game with two minutes to go.

“But the spirit was fantastic. There was a lot of youth out there and the guys that came in certainly made my job difficult for next Sunday against Leeds Rhinos.”

Chester revealed that prop David Fifita has returned to Australia for a brief spell.

“He’s got an injury and he’ll be missing for a couple of weeks so he’s gone home to see his family,” he said.

“We’ve granted him some time to go see his wife and young family.

“We’ve lost Anthony England with a tear in his groin, too, so we are struggling a bit for props.

“But there’s a lot to be proud about. I felt a draw would have been a fair result.”